A Flicker of Hope
by glambertcello
Summary: When Tony's four-year-old daughter approaches him really early in the morning, he doesn't expect for the conversation to go the way it does. I don't own the Avengers! Was going to be a oneshot, but I changed my mind. :)
1. Chapter 1

Tony was absorbed in his own little world—surrounded by two of his non-human loves: rock music and technology—when the music suddenly went silent, replaced by a, "Daddy?"

Instantly, Tony's attention snapped to the little redheaded figure in the doorframe. Brielle shouldn't be up; even without knowing the proper time, he knew _that_ much, based solely on her rubbing her eyes and wearing one of his old AC/DC shirts as pajamas. Just seeing her, the fragile little creature, amongst all of his Iron Man models felt strange, but he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he asked his daughter, "What's up, buttercup? Can't sleep?"

Nodding, she replied in her tiny voice, "Mommy read me a story and I thought too much." He extended his arms to her, which she ran to, enveloping herself around his torso as he lifted her into the air, setting her on one of the lab desks. "Aunt Tasha and Uncle Clint were asleep, so I didn't visit them," she informed him, playing with a tip of her hair by twisting it around her finger until it became knotted. "Uncle Steve still screams sometimes, and I thought Uncle Bruce would be in here with you, so I came in here to see you and Uncle Bruce both. I guess Uncle Bruce is asleep though."

"Why didn't you go talk to Mommy?" he asked, running his fingers tenderly through the four-year-old's hair. Even though it was kind of strange, he thought she was cutest when she was half asleep, her eyes heavy with the sandman's gift and her words slurring into one when she was _especially_ out of it.

Brielle wasn't quite _that_ out of it, but her eyes were heavy. "I woke Mommy up last night too; I didn't want to do that again."

"Oh." Pepper hadn't told him about that. He'd have to ask her in the morning if Brielle was becoming afraid of the purple giraffe nightlight again.

"So," he said, deciding to venture in the area of what Pepper had read, "what did Mommy read that kept you up thinking? I hope it wasn't Hansel and Gretel again; I know that gave you nightmares last time."

That got her giggling slightly, as she looked at Tony and shook her head eagerly, as if he was crazy for suggesting such a thing. "Nooo, Daddy," she whined, burying her face in her hands. "Mommy won't read that book anymore."

"Good," he said, smirking as he continued playing with her hair. "That was a disaster last time."

"Yup," she agreed, nodding. "No, Mommy read me a story about this prince and princess who fell in love. She said they stared 'deeply into each other's eyes,' and I asked her why they did that."

"Well," Tony said, tapping her on the nose affectionately, because her nose was so much like Pepper's and _so_ adorable, "it must've been because one of them had an eye-booger in their eye!"

"_Nooo_, Daddy!" she exclaimed, squealing and writhing as his hands tickled her under the armpits. "Mommy didn't say that was why! You're just being silly!"

Yes, yes he was. "Why did Mommy say that they stared into each other's eyes?" he asked, beginning to wonder _why_ she couldn't sleep because of this. It was leaving him really curious, and he wanted to discover what was keeping his baby girl up.

"Well," she said, staring at him with eyes that were the same as his—an odd shade with her pale complexion and hair, but it made her all the more beautiful—as she pondered how to explain it. "Mommy said that it was because they loved each other, and wanted to study each other's eyes."

Study each other's eyes? Wow, Pepper came up with lame explanations.

"That's silly," he said, tickling her under the chin. But, while she did laugh, she tried to be solemn, which wasn't like her at all.

"No, Daddy," Brielle said, moving his hand away so he would let her talk. "It's not silly. It's serious!"

"So is that why you're still up?" he asked, sincerely curious as to how this was important enough to keep her from a good-night's rest. "Because it's too serious for you?"

Her face still was serious as she said, "She was right, though. Mommy told me people in love stare into each other's eyes, and Uncle Clint and Aunt Tasha do that. Uncle Thor and Aunt Jane do that too. Everyone I see does it, except you and Mommy."

He blinked, completely startled by the last bit. It was completely out of nowhere; he loved Pepper, and he was pretty sure he stared at her quite a bit. Maybe not at her eyes, but affectionately. "What do you mean?" he asked, studying his daughter. "Mommy and I stare into each other's eyes all the time."

"No you don't," she insisted, shaking her head so harshly that Tony worried for a moment she was going to give herself whiplash. "You don't look at _Mommy_ like that. She doesn't either. You love Mommy, and she loves you, but you stare at someone else's eyes."

Tony stared at her, completely in _awe_ of what she was telling him. She didn't… no, she couldn't possibly… but who else? "Brielle, who do I stare at?" he asked, his voice so serious, he worried he might frighten her.

She suddenly became shy, slouching and looking at her yellow and blue toenails. "Uncle Bruce," she muttered.

Well, she was definitely her father's daughter; too smart for her own good.

Although he'd been trying to hide it for years, even after her married Pepper—both loved each other, but secretly knew it was more in a family way than a passionate way—he'd had an intense attraction toward the scientist. Even though he was practically the polar opposite of Tony in every way—they were each other's reciprocals—Tony couldn't help but enjoy his time with Bruce, talking science and falling even more madly in love with the doctor with each word that was exchanged.

There was absolutely no doubt that Bruce was still pining after Betty, still very much a straight doctor who was too overly paranoid of relationships to even give _consent_ for a kiss. If there had even been a chance, Tony would've talked to Pepper about getting a divorce. He knew she would've agreed to it, because she cared too much about her boss to be mad.

He'd thought he was doing a good job hiding it, but apparently not. If a child—even if she was Brielle Stark, daughter of Tony Stark—could notice his attraction to Bruce, then who was saying _Bruce_ hadn't seen it?

Feeling overwhelmed, he just stared at his daughter, completely lacking words.

"Daddy?" she asked. "Do you love Uncle Bruce? As in, prince and princess and fairytale love?"

For a moment, he considered denying it. Considered telling her no, she was just tired and reading too much into things. But, he knew she was too intelligent to accept that answer. Not when it was already evident on his facial expression. So, instead, he nodded, hoping that she wouldn't hate him for loving someone other than her mother.

But, to his surprise, she just reached up and hugged him. When she spoke, her voice actually sounded excited. "I _knew_ you loved Uncle Bruce, Daddy!" she exclaimed, her arms gripping his neck as tight as she could. "I _knew_ it!" Her arms unwound from his neck, slumping back to her side. "Mommy wouldn't mind; I told her about you staring deeply into Uncle Bruce's eyes, and she thought that was super sweet. You should tell Uncle Bruce! Maybe you can get married!"

He just couldn't believe he was having this conversation with his daughter, when she should be furious that he wasn't as in love with Pepper as a man he worked with. She was acting as if this could all end like the ridiculous fairytales Pepper read her before bed.

So, before she could become too excited—and start planning their wedding, most likely—he took her hands, holding them tight and giving her a sad, serious expression. "Brielle, honey," he said, his voice soft and regretful. Even though he was trying to discourage her mind from running away with the idea, the thought made him quiver with _want_ for the man. He _wanted_ Bruce Banner, but couldn't have him. Because he was married, and had a daughter.

"What, Daddy?" she asked, beginning to deflate as she realized what he might say to her.

"Honey, I _do_ love him," he said, pushing back the top of her hair from her forehead tenderly. "I love him _so much_. But, I'm married to your Mommy. I've got _you_. I can't just change it that easily. And, anyways, your Uncle Bruce doesn't love me. He's just my best friend, not some lover."

"Oh Daddy," she said, her voice sounding so much like Pepper's when she was about to contradict him, "Mommy is fine with it. We talked about it, and she explained divorce to me. She said she'd still love you, and you'd still love her. She sounded happy for you, Daddy."

"But he doesn't love me," he breathed, letting Brielle's fingers curl around his thumbs as he lifted her from the table and set her on the ground.

"Yes he does," she replied confidently, beginning to leave the lab. "You probably don't see this, but he stares into your eyes too."

And, as she left, Tony felt a flicker of hope.


	2. Chapter 2

Bruce was sitting in the Avenger's kitchen, taking a sip of the coffee he had just made, when Brielle wandered in, her face lighting up when she saw him. "You slept in, Uncle Bruce!" she announced, skipping over so she could climb into his lap. He helped her, chuckling at the little girl who reminded him so much of her parents. She was the perfect mixture of Pepper and Tony, and he loved her as if she was his own.

"And _you're_ up early," he countered, amused as she dug her fingers into his cereal and took some for herself. Even though he wouldn't let anyone else take his food—which meant Tony, because his best friend was the only one who would _dare_ do that—Brielle was one-hundred-percent allowed to eat off his food.

Shaking her head as she shoved a Cheerio into her mouth, she replied, "Am not! It's ten o'clock, and Mommy says I normally wake up at nine-thirty." He glanced over at the clock, smiling to himself as he observed that it was _eight-thirty_, not ten. She probably _felt_ like it was ten, and said that instead of asking Pepper what time it actually was. He'd have to teach her how to read a clock.

But, instead of pointing out this fact, he said, "Okay fine, you win the award for sleeping in the most. How's that sound?"

Brielle pondered it for a minute, cocking her head to the side, before announcing, "That's a stupid thing to give an award for." He snorted, playing with her long hair as she gobbled down Cheerios.

For a few minutes, neither of them spoke. There was only the sound of crunching and occasional sipping, Brielle doing the eating and Bruce doing the drinking. It was a peaceful morning, and neither of them really wanted to move.

But, when she was done eating, Brielle spun around on Bruce's lap so she could face him, a Cheshire-cat grin splitting her face. Oh no, the girl was up to something. It was the same grin that Tony would get before deciding three o'clock in the morning was a _brilliant_ time to blow stuff up, with a little bit of Pepper's innocent-mischievousness mixed in. Brielle might be the _perfect_ mixture of Stark and Potts, but she also was a perfect combination of their mischief. Whenever she was up to something, it usually wouldn't end well.

Smirking at her, he asked, "Brie-Brie, what's that face for?"

"What face?" she asked, pretending as if that was her natural face. "I'm not making a face!" But, she definitely was; that grin was still there.

"Quit it, you!" he teased, tickling her under the chin until she giggled hysterically. "You're up to something, and I can tell it!"

"_Quiiit_, Uncle Bruce," she whined, squirming until he stopped. Looking back at up at him with that look on her face, she told him, "Guess why I slept in."

"Hmm…" Bruce said, thinking for a moment. There were a lot of reasons why Brielle might sleep in. She might have been extra tired, but he didn't think _that_ was the case—after all, she seemed really hyper, and she _was_ up earlier than she thought. "Are there no good shows on today?" he asked, because that only seemed logical.

"Nope!" she spat, grinning that fiendish grin of hers. "Guess again!"

"Umm… Your Mommy didn't wake you up?"

She flipped her head back and forth, a very obvious _no_. "Mommy never wakes me up."

Honestly, there were hundreds of reasons why Brielle could be up at a different time than normal. Figuring none of the obvious ones were the answer, he announced, "I give up Brie-Brie! You're just going to have to tell me!"

"Fine!" she said, giggling. "I was up late thinking and talking to Daddy, so I slept in to make up for it!"

He'd been right; he wouldn't have guessed that. The little girl must've come in after _he_ went to bed, because he hadn't seen her. If she had been there, he would've known.

"What were you talking to your dad about?" he asked, his fingers playing with her hair. He didn't know what it was about her hair, but it was so _addictive_ to play with it. Everyone did it; he even caught Clint braiding it once.

Even though he hadn't believed it to be possible, her smirk widened, taking up her whole face. Oh no, what was she up to? "I talked to him about you and him," she answered, shifting to her knees so she could play with _his_ hair. "About why you're always staring deeply into each other's eyes."

Oh god no. She hadn't… no, how had she seen it? Bruce had been trying _so hard_ to keep all of his overwhelming Tony emotions restrained and not let them slip, but yet the four-year-old had noticed them. She had _noticed_ his emotions, but couldn't read a clock. They _had_ to be obvious.

Several years ago, the rumbling he felt in the back of his mind from pure _panic_ would've set the Other Guy loose. He would've rippled through his veins, taken over his body, and killed little Brielle. Mentally thanking Tony for working with him on controlling the Other Guy, he kept himself stiff and closed his eyes. He was going to be just fine. He just had to… breathe.

"Uncle Bruce?" she asked, playing with his hair and sounding concerned. "Are you and the Hulk alright?"

"Y-yeah," he breathed out, letting his eyes slide open. He saw concern in her wide, dark brown eyes—oh god, the same shade as Tony's—and said, "I'm fine, Brie-Brie. I'm… Does Tony- I mean, does your dad know about how I feel?"

Hesitantly, she nodded, saying, "I told him last night. He… Uncle Bruce?"

Bruce didn't know whether she said his name because he was panicking or because she wanted his permission to continue, but he didn't hesitate in asking, "Yeah?"

She began to tumble out words, babbling, "Daddy loves you, and loves you even though he's married to Mommy, but Mommy is okay with you guys being in love and stuff. And I think you should be together, because he always stares into your eyes and you always stare into his and you're always staring and I couldn't be mad because it's really cute and I'd love to have you as another daddy." She was panting by the conclusion, having already run out of breath.

Bruce was blinking back tears when Brielle said she'd want to have him as a dad, and that she wasn't mad at him. "You'd want me as a dad, Brie-Brie?" he asked, his voice trembling. He'd want nothing more than to be Brielle's father. She was adorable—albeit mischievous—and already felt like his child. The thought of him being her dad… it was too much. Especially if that meant Tony would have to divorce Pepper.

But, as the little one said, "Of course," and he opened his mouth to say something—he wasn't quite sure _what_ he would've said—Pepper's voice came from the other room, calling out Brielle's name. "I've gotta go," Brielle said, quickly giving Bruce a kiss on the cheek. "I think it's supposed to be bath time." He couldn't even manage to choke out a _bye_ before she was gone.

Now he was alone in the kitchen, alone with his thoughts. Tony knew Bruce loved him. Tony _knew_ Bruce loved him, and loved him too. That… The thought was almost impossible to Bruce.

But, he had never known Brielle to lie to him.

Standing to his quaky feet, he realized that _now_—not later, not never—was the time to find out if what the child said was true.


	3. Chapter 3

"God _dammit_," Tony muttered to himself, flinging the tool onto the counter in frustration. Although he had tried to concentrate _so hard_, he just couldn't. His mind was all over the place, following any tangent it came across. And, apparently, all of these tangents were about Bruce.

Leaning forward to prop his elbows against the counter, he ran his fingers through his brown hair, which had been mussed a while ago from the constant _thinking_. And when he thought hard, his hands somehow found their way into his hair.

_"You probably don't see it,"_ Brielle had said, _"but he stares into your eyes too."_

Was she right? That question kept resurfacing in his thoughts, very determined to be answered. Was she just _thinking_ she saw him staring, too excited about the idea to notice that it was all her imagination? But, she was a smart kid; she was a _Stark_. There might be _something _there.

And what would happen if there _was_ something? Would he just acknowledge it, and go on with life like normal? Still stay married to Pepper, still have Bruce as his science partner? Or would their relationship progress into something more? And what would happen to Pepper?

His mind was wandering in circles, and it was beginning to give him a migraine.

Inhaling deeply, he picked back up the tool, determined to accomplish _something_ today. He couldn't let his emotions get in the way of his work, especially since Bruce would _eventually_ come in.

Shaking his head, Tony wondered what he was going to do. The thought of going on like normal, like nothing had happened, was impossible for him. If he could barely function when Bruce _wasn't_ in the room, he couldn't imagine how it would be when Bruce was actually there. There would be no hope for focus.

Just as he was beginning to work again, he heard the door slide open from behind him, and he cringed. There was nobody other than Pepper and Brielle—but Pepper would've been given away by her heals, and Brielle was a very loud—who was allowed immediate access, unless it was Bruce. And, just based on the way the footsteps sounded, it _was_ him.

Since when had he memorized the sound of Bruce's footsteps?

Pretending to not hear him, Tony kept his back to the footsteps, until Bruce said, "Hey."

The awkward tone to his voice made the genius instantly turn before he realized what he was doing. "Hey!" came out of his mouth, startling him at how _enthusiastic_ it sounded. "What's up Bruce? Get enough sleep?"

His face didn't lighten up as much as it normally did; that's how Tony knew something was wrong. And his mental alert system went off as Bruce said, "Tony, we need to talk."

He could feel his face falling at the hesitant tone in Bruce's voice, and this time, he had to force his mouth to move. "Talk about what?"

"Brielle talked to me—"

"_Dammit!_" Tony hissed, his voice loud as he spun around, unable to face Bruce any longer. He could feel his face going bright red and his eyes stinging with embarrassment and frustration. All he could think was, _You're not handling this well at all._

A sigh came from behind him, and he heard Bruce ask, "Tony?"

"What?" he asked, his voice tight. _Quit freaking out. Quit freaking out_.

"Tony, can you talk to me?"

Tony spun around, opening his mouth to speak. "What do you want me to—"

Lips were on his, and—for a moment—he froze, completely surprise as Bruce kissed him. But, once he got over the initial _Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god_ stage, he kissed him back, letting his eyes slide closed as everything became _relief_. His arms circled around Bruce's torso, and he felt Bruce's hands touch his neck, holding him as close as possible.

When Bruce finally released him—but refused to remove his hands—he immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, Tony, I just couldn't stand it anymore. I shouldn't have done that. I just… Brielle said… Oh my god, what is Pepper going to—"

"Shut up," Tony's voice somehow said, cutting him off with a kiss. He felt Bruce melt into it, and everything was Tony and Bruce and them.

Well, until the lab doors slid open.

"Tony—" Pepper's voice cut off, surprised.

Instantly, Bruce and Tony split apart, Bruce blushing a brilliant red and Tony just barely blushing. In fact, he felt more proud than embarrassed; now that Bruce had _finally_ kissed him, after all of these years, he couldn't feel anything else but excitement.

Even though Brielle had said that Pepper approved of him and Bruce—which wasn't such a huge surprise, because she was such a romantic—he hadn't expected for her to be grinning ridiculously. "Well," she said, looking absolutely delighted, "that was a nice surprise to pop in on."

"Sorry," Bruce said, but she shook her head, still grinning.

"Seriously, Bruce, don't apologize. I'm really surprised it hadn't happened earlier."

Of course; Pepper would be the only person Tony knew who would be completely enthusiastic about this.

"What did you need, Pepper?" Hopefully the look he was giving her would give her a hint that he wanted her _out_.

Luckily, Pepper got it immediately. Nodding, she said, "Well, I was going to come in here and ask if you've seen Brielle."

"Wasn't she with you?" Bruce asked, his hand reaching over while he was talking and taking Tony's. Perhaps Pepper's approval was making him braver. Either way, Tony couldn't help but grin enthusiastically at the contact with the scientist.

"About that…" she said, looking down at the floor. "I put her in the tub to give her a bath, and I turned my back to get something, and she just disappeared."

"Disappeared?" both asked in unison.

Tony was just beginning to open his mouth to ask if Pepper had checked Brielle's bedroom when there was a noise from underneath one of the desks. A noise that sounded suspiciously like a giggle. The billionaire rolled his eyes, Bruce smirked, and Pepper squatted down on her knees, looking under the table. "Brielle," she said, her voice dead serious. "Come out from under the desk." Sure enough, out crawled the naked little girl, her face lit up with a giddy smile.

"Daddy finally kissed Uncle Bruce!" she announced, her voice delighted.

"I know," Pepper said, her voice completely encompassing the stern mother tone. "Next time, don't sneak out of the bathroom when I'm trying to give you a bath. Got it?"

"Got it," Brielle repeated. She obviously didn't mean it.

Tony scowled, squeezing Bruce's hand as he asked, "How did you get in here without using the doors?"

Her grin mimicking that of her father's mischievous look, she answered, "I just followed Uncle Bruce in to not have the door open again."

Bruce and Tony laughed, while Pepper tried to cover up her grin. "She's definitely her father's daughter," Bruce mused, leaning over to press a kiss to Tony's cheek. Tony beamed, and Brielle squealed like a little fangirl.

"Okay, that's it," Pepper said, realizing that Tony and Bruce probably wanted to be alone. "Brielle, you are _definitely_ in need of a bath now."

Tony and Bruce watched as Pepper carried Brielle out, listening to Brielle try to argue with her mother while they both smiled. As soon as the doors slid shut, Bruce told him, "You definitely raised that kid well."

"Yup!" he nodded, smirking as he realized that—without his beautiful daughter—he and Bruce wouldn't be here. "She's pretty amazing," he agreed, turning to Bruce with an expression that looked much like Brielle's. "Now, where were we?"

_The End_


End file.
